Golf club grip with housing

ABSTRACT

The invention generally relates to a grip for a golf club for housing an accessory to enhance the enjoyment of the game of golf. A grip of the invention prevents relative motion between the accessory and the club when the accessory is coupled to the club.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to golf clubs, more particularly to mechanisms forfastening accessories to clubs.

BACKGROUND

Golf is a popular sport played with a club that generally has a head, ashaft, and a grip. Golfers like interesting accessories and technologiesthat enhance their enjoyment of the game. Some accessories are providedas electronic devices to be coupled to a golf club. For example, U.S.Publication No. 2010/0308105 to Savarese describes electronic club tagsthat use light sensors to detect when a club is used and mentions thatgolf club grips could be made with openings where club tags could beput.

Golfers may desire a device that analyzes their playing, for example, bytracking their putts or drives with precision. To provide an on-clubdevice that precisely models a swing could require an accelerometer,gyroscope, microchip, antenna, and battery, creating a device muchbulkier than the thin club tags of Savarese.

When a bulky device is put on a club by known means, the impact of ashot can jiggle the device relative to the club. For some functions—suchas detecting that a shot is made—relative motion between the device andthe club is not significant. However, for sophisticated play analysis,even a small amount of relative motion interferes with the ability tocapture precise data about the motion of the club.

SUMMARY

The invention provides a golf club grip with a housing element thatholds a device in place on a golf club and prevents relative motionbetween the device and the club. The invention allows a grip to houseanother object via a housing, or void in the grip material. The housingcan either be co-molded into the grip material, or inserted after thegrip is made. A housing element can include a pliable material allowingdevices to be interchanged during a golf game. A housing elementincluding an elastic material binds a device into place under its ownforces to prevent relative motion. By forming a housing integrally, ormonolithically, with a grip, it is made attractive and affordable.Golfers avoid the distraction or aesthetic nuisance of an additionalpiece of visual clutter on their clubs. Thus the grip with housing ofthe present invention provides a handy and attractive way to placeelectronics or other accessories on or in golf clubs.

In certain aspects, the invention provides a grip for a golf club havinga sleeve member with a gripping surface. One end of the sleeve is opento fit over the shaft of a golf club. At the other end is a housing witha void to house an accessory. Overall, the grip may generally have anelongated cylindrical shape, preferably slightly tapered on the outside.Generally, a grip of in the invention will have an internal bore tocomplement a shaft.

The housing can be provided as a continuation of the sleeve beyond aterminus of the shaft. It can include a cylindrical wall with or withouta taper. Dimensions of the housing, including the cylindrical wall, canbe described with references to an axis of a shaft if the grip werecoupled to the shaft. However, these descriptions apply whether or notthe grip is mounted to a club shaft. Where the housing includes acylindrical wall protruding at an end of the grip, the grip has amaximum length from the shaft end to the housing end and the cylindricalwall may define a recess with a length measurable parallel to the shaftaxis, an inner radius and an outer radius, each measurable perpendicularto the shaft axis, and a wall thickness also measurable perpendicular tothe shaft axis.

In some embodiments, the length of the cylindrical recess is greaterthan about 2 mm, preferably greater than about 7 mm, and optionallybetween about 9 mm and about 15 mm. Either the internal or the externalradius of the recess can be between about 5 mm and about 15 mm. Thethickness of the wall around the recess may be between about 1 mm andabout 4 mm. The maximum length of the grip may generally be betweenabout 23 cm and about 31 cm. Generally, the grip may have a mass betweenabout 20 grams and about 70 grams, and preferably the grip will have amass between about 45 grams and about 55 grams.

In some embodiments, a ratio of the length of the recess to a thicknessof the wall is greater than four and may be between about 5 and about 7.A ratio of the length of the recess to the internal or external radiuscan be between about 0.8 and about 5.

A grip according to the invention can be made with rubber, cotton,synthetic materials, leather, or a composite. It can be formedmonolithically (i.e., all of one piece of one material) or as anassemblage. The grip can formed by injection molding, compressionmolding, or co-molding. A grip according to the invention allows anaccessory to be inserted or removed. The grip provides for ease ofinterchange between accessories. In some embodiments, a material of thegrip contributes to its ease of use.

The housing element of the grip can be made with a flexible materialthat can be peeled away from the accessory. For example, if the flexiblematerial forms a cylindrical wall region, it can be “rolled down” orsubstantially turned inside-out. Preferably, a housing element isprovided of a pliable material—capable of being repeatedly bent ordeformed without substantial fatigue. The housing element can be rolleddown or turned inside-out and may hold its shape in that conformation.When at rest (i.e., right-side-out) an interior surface of the recessmay be configured to matingly couple with a surface of the accessory.

In certain embodiments, the invention provides a cap, such as a buttcap, to cover or close the housing element, for example, when noaccessory is positioned in the housing element or to cover an accessorythat is housed within the element. A butt cap can screw on (for exampleby molded threads in the cap and in the grip), snap on, press-fit andcan be a separate piece or can be formed with the grip by a flap orstrap of material. A butt cap can be styled to make the grip appear as astandard grip (e.g., without a housing), or it can be fashioned to callattention to the functionality of the grip (e.g., with a logo or indiciashowing that it is part of a grip with housing). In certain embodiments,a grip with housing with a separable cap element (screw on, flap,press-fit, etc.) even without another accessory provides a valuablefeature for a golfer in the form of a small, closeable compartment on agolf club. A grip with housing with cap could be styled to callattention to this feature. For example, the grip, the cap, or both couldhave indicia (printing, embossed, etc.) calling attention to the storagecompartment (“twist to open”, “ball bucket coins”, or “Teecompartment”).

One beneficial result of a grip of the invention is that it facilitatescoupling an accessory to a golf club in such a way as to resist relativemotion between them, for example, while the club is used to play golf.In some embodiments, the grip works in concert with an accessory thatalso couples to a shaft by means of a stem that exerts pressure on theinside surface of the shaft. The grip holds the accessory snugly inplace, preventing relative motion. This can be accomplished in-part byproviding a cylindrical wall to cover a substantial part of anaccessory, preferably, most of an accessory. The grip can beparticularly designed to complement an accessory that mounts at the endof a shaft such that a majority of the accessory is outside of theshaft. In certain embodiments, a majority of the accessory will behoused within the grip. Particularly in view of the fact that someaccessories have portions that are intended to be viewable by a golfer,the grip can be configured to leave at least a portion of the accessoryexposed when housed in the grip. For example, a surface or display ofthe accessory can be visible to a golfer when the club is at address.

In certain aspects, the invention provides an accessory kit for a golfclub. A kit according to the invention may include a grip and anaccessory. The grip has a housing element to house the accessory and asleeve for mounting on a shaft of the club. In some embodiments, thegrip couples, or assists in coupling, the accessory to the club. Forexample, the housing element can receive the accessory within asubstantially tubular sleeve protruding beyond an end of the shaft. Insome embodiments, the tubular sleeve has an internal length roughlyequal to an internal radius. Depending, for example, on desiredmanufacturing costs or tolerances, a ratio of the internal length tointernal radius could be between about 0.5 and 1.5 or 0.8 and 1.2, andis preferably greater than about 0.5 and possibly greater than about0.8.

An accessory of the kit can include one or more of an accelerometer, agyroscope, a light detector, a switch, a circuit, a microchip, abattery, a photovoltaic material, a screen or readout, a data connectionsuch as a USB port or contact points, micro-SD card slot, an RFID tag, aWi-Fi card, an RF transceiver, a quartz crystal, or any combinationthereof. Generally, the accessory will be configured to be housed withinthe housing and thereby subject to forces to resist or inhibit motion ofthe accessory relative to the club.

The invention includes the recognition of several modes of relativemotion between an accessory and a club head. An accessory can movelongitudinally relative to a club. In the longitudinal mode, motion isin a direction parallel to a shaft axis. An accessory can twist relativeto a club, whereby the accessory turns around an axis coaxially with theshaft axis. An accessory may swivel relative to a club, indicating amotion around an axis that is perpendicular to a shaft axis. That is,for a generally round accessory mounted on a club such that an axis ofthe accessory defines an angle theta with the shaft axis, swivelingrefers to motion wherein theta changes. An accessory may exhibit shearmotion relative to a club, whereby the entire accessory is moved in adirection perpendicular to a shaft axis, with no change in theta. Anaccessory can rotate around its own rotational axis that is not co-axialwith a shaft axis. Finally, an accessory can revolve around a shaftaxis, whereby an axis of the accessory is displaced along a circlecentered on the shaft axis, without regard to twist or rotation.Furthermore, and equally problematic with the use of accessories, motionof an accessory relative to a club can manifest as one of or anycombination of different modes of motion.

Since the ability of data provided by motion tracking devices todescribe actual motion of a golf club is impaired by any motion—evenslight nudges—of the device relative to the club, the invention providesan improved ability to use accessories to track motion of a club byexerting forces on the accessory to inhibit, resist, or prevent any modeof relative motion.

In certain aspects, the invention provides a method of enhancing thepleasure derived from playing golf. Methods of the invention includecombinations of providing a grip member to house an accessory coupled toa shaft of a golf club, coupling the accessory to a golf club so thatthe accessory is housed within the grip member, activating theaccessory, and recording, by means of the accessory, data about a swingof the golf club. In some embodiments, the invention includes providinga computer readable medium having instructions thereon which, whenexecuted by a processor, cause a computer device to receive or processthe data from the accessory.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 gives a perspective view of one embodiment of a device of theinvention.

FIG. 2 shows a grip in which a housing element is rolled back tofacilitate access.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a pliable, turned-down housing.

FIG. 4 is a partial perspective view of a housing element extending froma grip.

FIG. 5 illustrates a flexible-material housing being bent down.

FIG. 6 reveals an accessory partially inserted to a club shaft near aninside-out housing.

FIG. 7 shows a housing being folded down, away from an installedaccessory.

FIG. 8 illustrates an accessory and a housing.

FIG. 9 shows an accessory coupled to a golf club and received within ahousing.

FIG. 10 shows a grip according to certain embodiments of the invention

FIG. 11 shows a perspective view of a grip with a slight taper

FIG. 12 shows a cutaway view of a grip according to certain embodimentsof the invention.

FIG. 13 shows a grip according to certain embodiments of the invention.

FIG. 14A shows an accessory.

FIG. 14B shows a grip according to certain embodiments of the invention.

FIG. 14C shows a grip and accessory according to certain embodiments ofthe invention.

FIG. 15A shows an accessory.

FIG. 15B shows a cutaway view of a grip according to certain embodimentsof the invention.

FIG. 16 shows an exploded view of a multi-part grip with housingaccording to certain embodiments of the invention.

FIG. 17A is a side view of a core part of a multi-part grip with housingaccording to certain embodiments of the invention.

FIG. 17B is a perspective view of a core part of a multi-part grip withhousing according to certain embodiments of the invention.

FIG. 18A is side view of a cap component of a grip with housingaccording to certain embodiments of the invention.

FIG. 18B is a perspective view of a cap component of a grip with housingaccording to certain embodiments of the invention.

FIG. 18C is a perspective view of a cap component of a grip with housingaccording to certain embodiments of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The invention generally provides a golf club grip configured to house anaccessory, kits including such a grip, and methods of enhancing thepleasure of golf which involve accessories coupled to golf clubs bymeans of a housing in a grip.

FIG. 1 shows a grip for a golf club having a sleeve member 109 with agripping surface, a shaft opening 107, and a housing element 105configured to house an accessory. Flange 113 generally separates a borefor receiving a shaft from housing element 105. Flange 113 may definehole 103, which can be configured to receive part of an accessory (notpictured in FIG. 1). Flange 113 around the bottom of the housing portionof the grip can act as a stopper so the shaft does not protrude into thehousing portion and does not make contact with the accessory wheninstalled in the grip. In a rubber grip, this section can be the samedurometer of the rest of the grip, or of a harder durometer. Housingelement 105 can hold a variety of objects (including, but not limited toelectronics, weights, training devices, accessories, bottle openers,tools, sunscreen, tees, key, or others). Preferably the interior housingportion of the grip is dimensioned properly to allow for expansion whenshafted and still provide a tight fit around an accessory.

FIG. 2 shows housing element 105 partially rolled back toward distalportion 111 to facilitate access, and FIG. 3 shows housing elementalmost fully rolled back, i.e., turned inside-out.

Comparison of FIG. 3 to FIG. 4 illustrates that a grip of the inventionis preferably made to be pliable. Pliable generally refers to a materialthat is easily flexible and resists fatigue. Natural rubber, syntheticrubber and compound materials can be used alone or in conjunction with anumber of cord and surface configurations to offer a certain tactile,softness or gripping characteristics. A grip of the invention can bemade with cord made of cotton, and grips can be half or full corded.Rubber grips can be made from a blend of liquid rubber and granulatedcork, optionally pressure molded, sanded, or painted. Grips can be madeof plastics or polymer materials such as, for example, EthylenePropylene Diene Monomer (EPDM). Grips can be made of leather such ascowhide, calfskin or kangaroo. They can be spiral wrapped. Corded gripscan be corded with strands of thread, e.g., to create a non-slip “raingrip”. The housing can either be co-molded into the grip material, orinserted after the grip is made. Co-molding the plastic into the rubbersaves weight, allows for greater tolerance, and makes application morestreamlined and results in a more attractive grip to some users. A gripor a component of a grip according to the invention can be injectionmolded, compression molded, or a combination thereof. Suitable materialsor methods of making a grip are described in Golf Club Grip, U.S. Pub.2007/0072696.

The invention provides grips with housing for use with any golf clubincluding, for example, drivers, irons, hybrids, wedges, and putters.For example, where the invention provides a putter grip with a housing,the grip can be tubular, tapered, a paddle style (with a flat area forthe thumbs), a pistol style (with a protruding area), or any other styleknown in the art. A grip of the invention can be substantially evenlyround or have a reminder (i.e., a line or rib on the grip that remindsthe golfer where the hand should be placed).

A grip can be made to have a graphic, emblem, or marked area. A mark,graphic, or emblem can include an area of a different thickness ortexture (e.g., a bas-relief), a pigment, a sticker, a medallion, orother indicator. Generally, such an indicator may be a corporate logo orother visible element, a reminder (e.g., tactile), or both. In someembodiments, a grip of the invention is designed to complement a clubwith a repositionable shaft. Exemplary club systems are described inInterchangeable Shaft System, U.S. Pub. 2009/0197694; InterchangeableShaft System, U.S. Pub. 2009/0264214; Interchangeable Shaft System, U.S.Pat. No. 7,699,717; Interchangeable Shaft System, U.S. Pub.2011/0143854; Interchangeable Shaft and Club Head Connection System,U.S. Pat. No. 7,878,921; Interchangeable Shaft and Club Head ConnectionSystem, U.S. Pub. 2010/0261543; Interchangeable Shaft and Club headConnection System, U.S. Pub. 2009/0247316; Quick Release ConnectionSystem for Golf Clubs, U.S. Pub. 2008/0125239; Two-Part Hosel ConnectionSystem for Golf Clubs, U.S. Pub. 2008/0254909; and Interchangeable Shaftfor a Golf Club, U.S. Pat. No. 7,476,160, the contents of each of whichare herein incorporated by reference in their entirety.

Clubs that include a shaft repositionable relative to a club headsometimes provide that the club head may be repositioned at differentrelative rotations around the shaft axis. In some embodiments, a gripaccording to the invention includes a graphic, an indicator, or a shape,such that an appearance of the club and grip to a spectator issubstantially similar regardless of the effective head-shaft position.For example, where a head can be fixed on a shaft in three differentpositions, each defined by an angular offset from the others of 120degrees, a grip of the invention can exhibit three-fold rotationalsymmetry, whereby a visible element of the grip is repeated to appear inthree places, each offset from the others by a 120 degree angularoffset. This way, regardless of an effective setting of the golf club,the club and grip appear the same, for example, on a camera recordingthe game of golf being played. That is, if the grip has a corporate logoon it designed to face forward from the golfer when the club is ataddress, the grip can have three such logos, so that one is alwaysfacing forward from the golfer when the club is at address.

With or without a logo or any other graphic or other visible element, agrip according to the invention can be made a solid color, or amulti-color theme according to a pattern or an irregular mix (e.g.,tie-dyed, marbled, or speckled). In some embodiments, a customer choosesa shape for a grip and then a color and orders the grip, for example,from a web site. An ordering system can be configured to receive acustomer specified color through an input means, such as an HTML orHTML5 color pickers, receiving Pantone color numbers, color matching toa customer-provided sample, color picking from a catalog, or othermeans. In one embodiment, a customer takes a picture of an item having adesired color (e.g., a color specimen) and sends the picture to aprovider firm. The provider firm may optionally give instructions forincluding a color standard in the picture, for example, adjacent to thecolor specimen (“place your existing club next to a primary color wheeland a take a picture showing the club and the wheel”). Grip material canbe mixed with pigment until the color is matched (as verified by placingby a similar standard and taking a second picture to compare to thefirst). Then a grip with a housing of the invention can be made or sentto the customer having an accurately-matched customer-specifiedcustom-ordered color.

Preferably, a grip of the invention will include sleeve member 109—anelongated cylindrical portion to sheath a shaft of a golf club andprovide a golfer with a good grip on the club. FIG. 4 shows a close viewof a grip of the invention revealing that sleeve member 109 can includetextured portions, which can be ridges, valleys, knobs, divots,irregular protrusions or recesses, or any other suitable method ofproviding a gripping surface. Material of the grip can also be madetacky, for instance by choosing a soft rubber, polymer, or composite orby impregnating a primary material with an accessory compound.

Turning between FIG. 4 and FIG. 5 illustrates that a grip of theinvention is preferably soft, flexible, or pliable. As seen in FIG. 5,housing 105 is bent down, exposing hole 103. This allows an accessory tobe positioned at the end of the club with ease. A grip of the inventionmay include a rubber or other elastic material which can be bent down,but also which when at rest exerts force on an accessory, for example,by virtue of the tacky surface or the elastic or frictional propertiesof the material.

Whatever features, colors, materials, or contours are included, a gripmay generally be described by its dimensions and other intrinsicproperties. A grip of the invention generally includes a housing that isdescribable according to aspects of a recess therein. In someembodiments, the housing includes a generally cylindrical recesssurrounded by a generally tubular wall. The “depth” of the recess can bedescribed by measuring a length of the recess (or the surrounding wall)in a direction generally parallel to a shaft axis, if the grip wereinstalled on a club. The size of the recess may be also be described byreference to an internal radius (e.g., of the surrounding wall),measured in a direction perpendicular to the shaft axis. The housing mayfurther be described with reference to a measurement of an externalradius of the surrounding wall. A thickness of the wall may be describedby a difference of the internal and the external radius.

In some embodiments, a length or an internal radius of the recess isbetween about 6 and about 26 mm. The external radius may be betweenabout 8 mm and about 30 mm. Generally, the length of the wall (i.e., thelength of the recess) may be greater than about 9 mm. In preferredembodiments, a length of the recess is between about 8 mm and about 13mm; an internal radius is between about 10.5 mm and about 14.5 mm; anexternal radius is between about 11.5 mm and about 19.5 mm; or anycombination thereof. In certain embodiments, the length of the recessmay be about 11.5 mm, the internal radius may be about 12.5 mm, thethickness of the wall may be about 2 mm, the maximum length of the gripmay be about 27 cm, or any combination thereof.

Generally, the grip may have a mass between about 40 grams and about 55grams, or between about 15 grams and about 70 grams. Preferably, thegrip has a mass between about 44 grams and about 53 grams. In certainembodiments, the mass is between about 48 grams and about 52 grams.

In some embodiments, the grip may be scaled up, or scaled down (e.g.,for a club for a younger person or very tall person, or for a mini oroutsized model club or grip for display as a demonstration) andproportions of the grip may then generally be described by reference tounitless ratios. In some embodiments, a ratio of a length of the recessto a thickness of the wall is greater than four and may be between about5 and about 7. In some embodiments, a ratio of a length of the recess toa thickness of the wall is between about 5.5 and about 6.5. Preferably,a ratio of the length of the recess to a thickness of the wall is atleast about 2.5 or about 3. In some embodiments, a ratio of a length ofthe recess to an internal or external radius of the recess is betweenabout 7 and about 2.5, and may preferably be between about 8 and about1.5. Generally, a ratio of an external radius of the recess to anoverall length of the grip may be between about 0.02 and about 0.12, andmay be between about 0.03 and about 0.09. Preferably, a ratio of anexternal radius of the recess to an overall length of the grip may bebetween about 0.05 and about 0.06. Generally, a ratio of a length of therecess to an overall length of the grip may be between about 0.01 andabout 0.09, and may preferably be between about 0.02 and 0.07. In someembodiments, a ratio of a length of the recess to an overall length ofthe grip may be between about 0.035 and 0.05.

A grip of the invention generally may have any mass depending on itsscale and size. In some embodiments, a grip of the invention has a massbetween about 10 grams to b about 70 grams, preferably between about 30grams and about 60 grams. In a preferred embodiment, a grip has a massof between about 40 grams and about 55 grams, preferably between about51 and about 53 grams.

In certain aspects, the invention provides a kit including a grip and anaccessory 201. FIG. 6 shows accessory 201 having stem 205 partiallyinserted to a club shaft near an inside-out housing 105 at the end ofsleeve member 109. One or more of cutout 207 can be provided in stem 205allowing stem 205 to be squeezed to have a smaller circumference atleast at part of its length (e.g., during insertion), thereby allowingaccessory 201 to be coupled to the golf club substantially by anexpansive force—the force exhibited in an outward direction generallyperpendicular to the shaft axis by the “legs” of stem 205, due to itsbeing squeezed into the golf club shaft. The accessory could also haveno stem.

A relationship of the material of the grip to accessory 201 isexhibited, in part, in FIG. 7, showing a housing being folded down, awayfrom an installed accessory. Where the material is pliable, the rubberysleeve can be peeled back this way many times, allowing differentaccessories to be positioned therein. Due to the workable nature of thematerial, the grip should not interfere with the complete removal ofaccessory 201 from the club, as shown in FIG. 8. However, due to elasticproperties, dimensions, and surface properties, when accessory 201 isfully positioned in the grip, as shown in FIG. 9, motion of accessory201 relative to the club is prevented.

Due, at least in part, to the contact of housing 105 on accessory 201 asshown in FIG. 9, the grip exerts forces on accessory 201 that resistmotion. When housed, accessory 201 is prevented from moving relative toa golf club in any of a number of modes including twisting, rotation,revolution, swiveling, shearing, longitudinal, or any combinationthereof. This phenomenon relates to the coupling of an interior surfaceof housing 105 to an exterior surface 201. By matingly coupling—that is,substantially matching and complementing each other indimensions—surface contact creates much of the desired force. Due to themating coupling, there are surfaces in contact in every direction. Insome embodiments, any line that passes through a center of gravity ofaccessory 201 has at least one parallel line that passes through a matedpair of surfaces between accessory 201 and housing 105. That is,accessory 201 may be substantially surrounded by the housing. Accessory201 may have a surface in contact with and bounded by material of thegrip in each of an x, y, and z direction. Thus, pressure or frictionexists in each or every potential direction of motion. Accordingly, agrip of the invention provides the beneficial result that relativemotion between the accessory and the club is prevented during play,which includes restricting such motion to less than fractions of amillimeter in any relevant direction. In some embodiments, when a clubis played, a coupled accessory moves less than about a tenth or aquarter of a millimeter relative to the club and, due to elasticproperties of the grip, returns to its relative original position.

In some embodiments, for example as shown in FIG. 10, an outside wall ofhousing 105 will have a slight “reverse taper”. Reverse taper generallyrefers to a tapering in a direction opposite of tapering of sleevemember 109. Outside wall can taper in by an amount between about 2° andabout 8°, preferably about 5°. Provision of a reverse taper can moretightly grip accessory 201, thereby preventing or inhibiting relativemotion. FIG. 11 shows a perspective view of a grip in which housingelement 105 exhibits a slight reverse taper. The base of housing element105 includes an optional protrusion 335, discussed in more detail below.

FIG. 12 shows a cut-away view of a grip according to certain embodimentsof the invention. As can be seen in FIG. 12, at the base of housingelement 105 is a flange designed to separate an accessory from a shaftof a golf club. Sleeve member 109 is tapered, and housing element 105exhibits a slight reverse taper with an angle between about 4° and about6°. It can be seen from FIG. 12 that interior housing portion of thegrip is dimensioned properly to allow for expansion when shafted andstill provide a tight fit around accessory 201 (201 is not shown in FIG.12).

In some embodiments, the invention provides a grip that tapers over thetop of accessory 201 to almost completely encapsulate it. One examplesuch grip is depicted in FIG. 13. This allows for more impact protectionand increase the stability of the accessory inside the grip. By using agrip in which housing element 105 envelops much of accessory 201 (e.g.,the grip in FIG. 13), relative motion between the accessory and the clubis minimized (201 is not shown in FIG. 13).

In some embodiments, a portion of the grip or the housing and a portionof accessory 201 each include a slot or a corresponding protrusion toprevent relative motion or to ensure proper alignment. For example, FIG.11 shows a housing element 105 having a rib slot 335 designed to engagewith a corresponding protrusion on accessory 201 (not shown). In thealternative, the housing element 105 has a rib protrusion designed toengage with a corresponding slot on accessory 201.

FIG. 14A shows accessory 201 having a rib protrusion 535, whichcorresponds to slot 537 shown in the housing interior of the grip shownin FIG. 14B. When accessory 201 is inserted into a grip, it will befound to only fit well at a single rotational position. This isillustrated by a top-down view of accessory 201 in housing element 105in FIG. 14C. FIG. 14C shows that rip protrusion 535 matingly coupleswith slot 537 to prevent rotation and ensure proper alignment. A housingelement or accessory of the invention can have one or more (e.g., anynumber) of the same or different slot or protrusions, the slot orprotrusion being on either of the accessory or grip, as shown herein.For example, a grip could have two, three, or more of slot 537. Slot 537can have any width, breadth, or dimensions as would be recognized assuitable by one of skill in the art.

In certain embodiments, accessory 201 and housing element 105 having across-sectional shape of their mating surfaces (e.g., outside surface ofaccessory and inside wall of housing) that is not round. For example, atriangular, oval, egg-shaped, T-shaped, or irregular-shaped accessorycan be provided with a correspondingly-shaped housing recess. In thisway, relative rotational motion can be prevented.

A slot and protrusion as shown in FIGS. 14A-14C cooperate to inhibitrelative motion having a rotational component. FIGS. 15A and 15B show aslot 737 and a protrusion 735 that inhibit relative motion having alongitudinal component. FIG. 15B depicts a cutaway-view of a top of agrip of the invention. As shown in FIG. 15A, around the top of accessory201 is an annular protrusion 735. As accessory 201 is inserted intohousing element 105, pliable material of the grip expands to receiveprotrusion 735 until protrusion 735 is matingly received within slot737. As discussed above, a housing could have slot 737 and slot 537, orone or more of any combination of them. Also, or in the alternative, oneor more of any combination of protrusion 335, 535 or 735 could be on orin housing element 105.

FIG. 16 shows a multi-part grip with housing according to certainembodiments of the invention. Grip core 913 can be positioned over ashaft of a golf club. Grip surface 909 covers grip core 913, with abottom edge of grip surface 909 received under bottom trim element 941.End cap 905 is mated with grip core 913 under grip surface 909 such thattop trim element 943 covers a top edge of grip surface 909. While FIG.16 generally depicts a long grip core and short cap, either one could belong than the other, or they could be about equally long. In thealternative, the grip core and cap could be comprised as a single unit.

In FIG. 16, grip surface 909 is shown as a generally cylindrical elementhaving a textured surface (here, a trompe l'oeil representing a leatherwrap). In other embodiments, grip surface 909 is provided by aspiral-wrapped material such as a leather (optionally with an adhesiveelement), grip tape, or any other suitable material an in any suitableconfiguration.

FIGS. 17A and 17B show a grip core 913 in side view and perspectiveview, respectively. One end of grip core 913 presents trim element 941at one end and at the other end presents a butt end to mate with end cap905. Optionally, as seen in FIG. 17B, the butt end of grip core 913includes a protrusion 335, which can matingly couple with acomplementary surface of an accessory. FIGS. 18A-18C show end cap 905 tocover the butt end of grip core 913. End cap 905 supplies housingelement 105 by nature of the shape of end cap 905, particularly incooperation with butt end of grip core 913. A distal (i.e., butt) end ofend cap 905 provides top trim element 943 to receive an edge of gripsurface 909, thereby providing aesthetic closure and functionallysecuring grip surface 909 to a golf club.

In certain embodiments, the invention provides a housing that stabilizesan accessory relative to a club during play or a kit including such ahousing and such an accessory. One exemplary accessory that can bestabilized by the grip with housing of the present invention includes anorientation and time-sensing alarm as described in Orientation/TimeSensing Alarm Device For Golf Club, U.S. Pat. No. 6,753,778,incorporated by reference herein in its entirety. In some embodiments,provision of a housing of the invention allows the grip to house anelectronic device that was previously only known to be containablewithin a shaft of the club (see, e.g., Golf Club Rhythmic Swing Meter,U.S. Pat. No. 6,517,352, incorporated by reference herein in itsentirety) entirely or substantially (e.g., >than 60% of its volume)inside of the grip, and also substantially outside of the shaft of theclub—providing for greater ease of interchangeability.

In some embodiments, the invention provides a kit comprising a grip andaccessory 201, for example, as illustrated in FIG. 8. Accessory 201 canconfer any number of desirable functions to golf clubs. Accessory 201can include a bottle opener, a cigar cutter, a compass, a flashlight, afigurine (e.g., a joke statuette, a sports mascot, or a decorativesculpture), or an electronic device.

In certain embodiments, accessory 201 includes one or more of a motionsensor, accelerometer, gyroscope, and light detector. A device can beincluded that detects or measures motion of the club in any one of, orany combination of, numerous modes including acceleration, translationmotions, vibration, shock, tilt, and rotation.

Accessory 201 can offer a desired function such as swing improvement ortraining, situational on-off switching, or gesture recognition (e.g.,two quick vertical shakes of a golf club signals an app on a golfer'ssmart phone to mark a position on a map for future reference). In someembodiments, accessory 201 includes one or more of an accelerometer withlow-g sensing ranges (e.g., roughly human generated), an accelerometerwith high-g sensing ranges (e.g., roughly vehicle generated), agyroscope, a multi-axis gyroscope unit, a multi-axis accelerometer unit,or a combination thereof.

Accessory 201 can include devices to measure one or more aspects of aswing. Exemplary systems and methods for describing swing tempo aredescribed in Golf Swing Tempo Measurement System, U.S. Pat. No.7,160,200, the contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference intheir entirety. An electronic device accessory 201 can include a cameraor an audio output, for example, to deliver instructions or tips to agolfer. Exemplary devices are described in Golfing Aids, U.S. Pub.2009/0239673, incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.Electronic club tags that detect light or include an antenna aredescribed, for example, in Golf Club Apparatuses and Methods, U.S. Pub.2010/0308105, and in Golf Data Recorder with Integrated Missing ClubReminder and Theft Prevention System, U.S. Pub. 2009/0233735, thecontents of both of which are incorporated by reference herein in theirentirety.

Accessory 201 can capture data reflecting that a device is picked up orput down, make precise measurements of an object's motion, or providedata to be recorded, so that a record is accumulated including anobject's history of motions or positions. Further a record of anobject's motions allows a different set of motions to be compared toeach other, preferably with great precision, for example, by a computerprocesser (e.g. to determine if a later swing conforms to a desiredobjective more than an earlier swing—“Am I improving?”). An exemplarydevice including an orientation and position sensor with an RFtransceiver is described in Miniaturized Wireless Inertial SensingSystem, U.S. Pat. No. 7,672,781, the contents of which are herebyincorporated by reference in their entirety.

In certain embodiments, accessory 201 includes motion sensors asdescribed above with requisite means (e.g., microchip or ASIC) to detectand interpret specified gestures. Defined gestures, such as tapping thehead of a golf club while it is in a bag, or tapping the ground aspecified number of times with a club while standing at address, allowusers to activate different features or adjust a mode of operation.Gesture recognition is particularly useful in golf, where physicalbuttons and switches would be disfavored on a golf club. Switch (orbutton) free designs are more aesthetically pleasing, waterproof, andbest in keeping with modern technological trends.

In some embodiments, the invention provides methods for enhancing thepleasure of playing golf involving providing a grip with housing andaccessory 201. Accessory 201 can be configured to communicate with otherelectronic devices. For example, accessory 201 can include wirelesscommunication means such as a 3G or 4G cell antenna, Bluetooth, or aWi-Fi card. A chip on accessory 201 can communicate, directly or via anetwork, with another electronic device that offers some functionalityto a golfer. For example, accessory 201 can communicate with asmartphone (e.g., Samsung Galaxy SII or other Android phone), an iPhone,a tablet computer, a laptop, or any other electronic device. Datacollected by accessory 201 can be transmitted to another electronicdevice for further storage or processing. Exemplary systems and methodsfor improving performance to enhance enjoyment of golf by datacollection are discussed in Method and System for Athletic MotionAnalysis and Instruction, U.S. Pub. 2007/0270214, and Method and Systemfor Athletic Motion Analysis and Instruction, U.S. Pub. 2006/0166737,the contents of each of which are hereby incorporated by reference intheir entirety. Methods of the invention can include providing a grip inaccordance with any embodiment of the invention.

In some embodiments, the invention provides software for processing datacaptured by accessory 201. Software can be an app that a golferdownloads onto a device, an application that a golfer installs onto acomputing device, one or more programs that run on a web serveraccessible, for example, via a web page, or any combination thereof. Byinstalling the golf-data analyzing software or running it in the memoryof a computer device including a memory coupled to processor, theprocessor can execute one or more programs to analyze data related tothe playing of golf. Analysis includes displaying, comparing, andcalculating (e.g., taking an average or interpolating a trend).

The invention provides a grip with housing that fastens accessory 201 toa golf club preventing relative motion therebetween, while stillallowing for easy, during-game removal or placement of accessory 201.Thus, the invention further enables the electronic capture of detailedand precise information about actual swings and strokes, including thepath of the club through air. By calibrating the club or providingspecified dimensions of the club to accessory 201 or associated analysissoftware, motion data from devices (e.g., accelerometers) in accessory201 can be used as a basis for calculating motion data of any other partof a club head. For example, if one or more accelerometers detects thata club is swung through 36 degrees of an arc in 1 second, and data issupplied that a sweet spot of a club face is 2 meters from the center ofthe circle defining the arc (i.e., the pivot point), then a processorcan calculate that the sweet spot moved along a line of length(36/360)*2πr, where r=2 m in 1 s, which gives a distance, d=0.1*4π m anda time t=1s. Thus, a computer device of the invention can calculate d=rtto determine (via r=d/t) that a golfer's rate of swing is about 1.3 m/s.Methods of the invention include performing a calculation based on dataabout a golfer's swing using a computer processor and providing theresults for a golfer.

Accordingly, the invention provides systems for improving performance orenjoyment of golf including a club having a grip with a housing bindingan accessory thereto, an electronic device communicatively coupled tothe accessory and having a memory and a processor, and acomputer-readable medium having program instructions thereon which, whenexecuted, cause the processor to analyze data collected by the accessoryabout a golfer's swing. It will further be appreciated that more thanone of accessory 201 can be used by more than one golfer in concert todevelop a social or competitive aspect of the game. For example, twogolfers can program their accessories or electronic device to displayeach other's stroke information, shot tracking, present position on agolf course, or other information to each other. They can compare shots,plan their progress through a golf course even when not within earshotof each other, and readily access (e.g., via the internet) data aboutthe course, how pros play, or recommendations about clubs for certainshots. Communicating sports-related information is discussed in SYSTEMSAND METHODS FOR COMMUNICATING SPORTS-RELATED INFORMATION, U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 13/156,116 to Tim Beno, et al., filed Jun. 8, 2011,the contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference in theirentirety.

INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE

References and citations to other documents, such as patents, patentapplications, patent publications, journals, books, papers, webcontents, have been made throughout this disclosure. All such documentsare hereby incorporated herein by reference in their entirety for allpurposes.

Equivalents

Various modifications of the invention and many further embodimentsthereof, in addition to those shown and described herein, will becomeapparent to those skilled in the art from the full contents of thisdocument, including references to the scientific and patent literaturecited herein. The subject matter herein contains important information,exemplification and guidance that can be adapted to the practice of thisinvention in its various embodiments and equivalents thereof.

What is claimed is:
 1. A grip for a golf club, comprising: a sleevemember; a gripping surface; a shaft opening at a first end for receivinga shaft therein at a first end; and a housing element configured tohouse an accessory, wherein the grip has a maximum length from the firstend to a second end, an interior bore configured to receive an end of ashaft, and an exterior surface to provide a grip.
 2. The grip of claim 1wherein the housing comprises a continuation of the sleeve memberdefining a cylindrical wall with and open end and a recess thereinhaving a length measurable parallel to a shaft axis, an internal radiusmeasurable perpendicular to the shaft axis, and a wall thicknessmeasurable perpendicular to the shaft axis.
 3. The grip of claim 2wherein the length of the cylindrical recess is more than about 7 mm. 4.The grip of claim 2, wherein an interior surface of the recess isconfigured to matingly couple with a surface of the accessory.
 5. Thegrip of claim 1 further configured to fasten the accessory to the shaftwith sufficient force to prevent motion of the accessory relative to theshaft while the golf club is being used to play golf.
 6. The grip ofclaim 1 further configured to house an accessory that is fastened to agolf club at least by an expansive force exerted by the accessory on aninside wall of the shaft.
 7. The grip of claim 1, further configured tohouse an accessory during a game of golf such that a majority of theaccessory is outside of the shaft, a majority of the accessory is insideof the grip, and a portion of the accessory is viewable to a player whenthe club is at address.
 8. The grip of claim 1, wherein the housingelement comprises a pliable material that can be turned inside-out andholds its shape when turned inside out.
 9. The grip of claim 4, whereinthe housing element comprises a flexible material that can be peeledaway from the accessory.
 10. The grip of claim 2, wherein a ratio of thelength to the wall thickness is greater than four.
 11. The grip of claim2, wherein the length of the wall is greater than about 10 mm, andfurther wherein the maximum length of the grip is between about 23 cmand about 31 cm.
 12. The grip of claim 1, wherein the grip has a massbetween about 40 grams and about 55 grams.
 13. The grip of claim 2,wherein the internal radius of the recess is between about 10 mm andabout 15 mm.
 14. The grip of claim 2, wherein the internal radius of therecess is between about 11.5 and about 13.5 mm.
 15. The grip of claim 2,wherein a ratio of the length of the recess to the internal radius ofthe recess is greater than about 8.5.
 16. An accessory kit for a golfclub comprising: a grip member, comprising a housing element configuredto house an accessory and a sleeve member configured to receive a shaftof the golf club, thereby coupling the accessory to the golf club; andan accessory configured to be housed within the housing element, therebybeing subjected to a rotation resistant force, a shear resistant force,a swivel resistant force, a twist resistant force, and a longitudinalresistant force, wherein each force prevents motion of the accessoryrelative to the golf club.
 17. The kit of claim 16, wherein the housingelement is configured to receive the accessory within a substantiallytubular sleeve protruding beyond an end of the shaft and having a lengthas well as an internal radius and an external radius defining a wallthickness such that a ratio of the length to the internal radius isgreater than about 0.8.
 18. The kit of claim 17, wherein the accessorycomprises an accelerometer, a battery, and an RF transceiver.
 19. Amethod of enhancing pleasure derived from playing golf, comprising:providing a grip member to house an accessory coupled to a shaft of agolf club, the grip member comprising a sleeve with an opening at afirst end to receive a shaft of the golf club and a cylindrical walldefining a recess at a second end, wherein the recess has a lengthparallel to a shaft axis as well as an internal radius and an externalradius perpendicular to a shaft axis defining a wall thickness, andfurther wherein a ratio of the length to the radius is between about 0.8and about 3, and a ratio of the length to the thickness is between about3 and about 20; coupling the accessory to a golf club so that theaccessory is housed within the grip member; activating the accessory,and recording, by means of the accessory, data about a swing of the golfclub.
 20. The method of claim 19, further comprising: providing acomputer readable medium having instructions thereon which, whenexecuted by a processor, cause a computer device to receive the datafrom the accessory.
 21. The method of claim 20, wherein the sleeve andthe cylindrical wall are monolithically formed of a pliable material andfurther wherein the ratio of the length to the internal radius isbetween about 0.7 and about 1.3.
 22. The method of claim 21, furthercomprising: coupling the accessory to the golf club such that each of arotation resistant force, a swivel resistant force, a shear resistantforce, a twist resistant force, and a longitudinal resistant force ispresent to prevent motion of the accessory relative to the golf clubwhile golf is being played.